Description

WTRSHORTFRQ reports how frequently the household experienced water shortage or unavailability in the last two weeks. The complementary variable WTRSHORTYN indicates whether the household experienced any water shortfall or unavailability in the past two weeks.

The information in WTRSHORTFRQ is taken from the household record, linked to the record of the woman respondent. This information applies to household residents, not temporary visitors, so researchers may wish to exclude visitors using the RESIDENT variable (with visitors coded "2").

Comparability

Along with universe differences and some differences in question wording, the response categories for WTRSHORTFRQ differ across samples. To maximize comparability, IPUMS-DHS uses composite coding for this variable. The first digit groups responses into three broad categories: 1) daily or almost daily, 2) a few times a week, and 3) more rarely. The second digit provides additional detail only sometimes available (for example, whether the shortfall happened every day or 4-6 times a week).

For discussion of the differences in question wording for this variable, consult the comparability section of the variable description for WTRSHORTYN.

Comparability - Standard DHS

WTRSHORTFRQ is a country-specific household variable not included in the standard DHS questionnaire.

Universe